


A Friend Who Likes Spiders

by EavingMal



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, Gen, basically plotless
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-08
Updated: 2016-12-08
Packaged: 2018-09-07 07:59:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8789893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EavingMal/pseuds/EavingMal
Summary: After Hagrid is expelled from Hogwarts, his first few days as a groundskeeper are rough.Dumbledore calls on an old friend with similar interests to help Hagrid ease into his new job.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Just watched Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them and you cannot tell me this isn't canon. Written for a friend of mine who heard the premise and demanded a fic.

Hagrid fidgeted, sitting in Dumbledore’s office in the too-small chair, next to the too-small desk.

Dumbledore looked at him over half-moon glasses, real sympathy in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Rubeus,” he said gently. “I can’t undo your expulsion.”

Hagrid nodded. He understood – he didn’t really want Dumbledore to reverse the decision. After all, he’d have to tell the headmaster about Aragog, and then the poor thing …

“I understand, sir,” he said quietly. “Please don’t tell anyone – he hasn’t hurt anybody!”

Dumbledore nodded, smiling his kind smile. “It’s quite alright, Rubeus.”

He handed Hagrid back the two halves of his wand, tiny in Hagrid’s huge hands. “But we will do what we can. Come with me.”

 

~

 

Hagrid followed Dumbledore out of the castle and away across the grounds. Miraculously, they met nobody else. Hagrid wondered if that was deliberate. He was thankful, if it was. He wished he could shrink into himself. He was always too big, always too visible. Now, more than ever.

The night air was cold, and he followed along with Dumbledore’s large strides, trotting a little to keep up, even though his legs were nearly as long as Dumbledore’s. He was too used to trying to slow down, not to outpace the students alongside him.

Dumbledore led him to a small, run-down shack on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid hoped they might be going into the Forest – he’d released Aragog there when he’d been caught, and hadn’t yet had a chance to go and check if the poor fellow had gotten settled in alright. What if he hadn’t managed to find a place of his own? What if there were other spiders, and he’d run into trouble?

But Dumbledore opened the door to the hut instead. It was dusty and the bed looked old and saggy. Next to the door was a bright pink umbrella. When he gave it a puzzled frown, Dumbledore just smiled over his glasses, and winked.

With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore pulled out the two chairs at the little table in the middle of the room, and an ancient tea set came out of the cupboard. Water flowed from tap into teapot, boiling in mid-air, and a spoon added tea leaves of its own accord.

The tea was poured, and Dumbledore and Hagrid sat down to drink it together.

“Would you like to stay on as our groundskeeper?” Dumbledore asked.

Hagrid nodded furiously. Yes, he wanted nothing more than to stay at Hogwarts, even if it wasn’t at the school. “Just tell me what I need to do, sir!”

 

~ 

 

After a long conversation in the hut, Dumbledore left. Hagrid would settle in just fine, he thought, but the look the young man had given him as he closed the door was uncertain and lost. Dumbledore did not blame him for that. But perhaps it might be best to give the poor young man a friend to look up to.

Back in his office, he penned a letter.

 

~

 

Hagrid had thought that the groundskeeper position would suit him. But three days after Dumbledore had left him in the house, he had hardly done anything. The list of tasks was so long and he was only one person!

He hadn’t even gotten to see Aragog, though that broke his heart. He hadn’t found the poor fellow in the Forbidden Forest yet, and he’d barely had time to search.

Wrapped in the blanket on his bed, he looked out at the castle. He missed Hogwarts, no matter how much he tried to tell himself he had hadn’t really left it. The hut was nice and homey, but it was also lonely.

There was a knock on the door. Hagrid hastily smoothed the blanket back onto the bed, and tried to straighten his bushy hair on his way to the door.

Was it Dumbledore? What more tasks could there possibly be?

But the man at the door was not Dumbledore. He was an old man, though, white-haired like Dumbledore, but clean-shaven. He wore a long scarf and a bright smile, though he didn’t look up to meet Hagrid’s eyes.

“Mind if I come in?” the old man said, and Hagrid nodded.

“I’ll … make tea,” Hagrid muttered, and set about getting some things together.

“I’d love some tea,” the old man said, speaking in a slow, soothing voice Hagrid recognised as the one that he sometimes used himself to speak to spooked animals.

“I’m Newton Scamander,” the old man said. “But you can call me Newt, if you like.”

Hagrid turned away from the simmering water and shook Newt’s hand. “Rubeus Hagrid,” he said. “Or just Hagrid.”

Newt smiled up through his fringe at Hagrid, though they were close to the same height. “Just Hagrid,” he said. “Good! Dumbledore told me about your Acromantula.”

Hagrid nearly dropped the teacup. “Did he?”

Newt’s face lit up. “Beautiful creatures, aren’t they?”

Hagrid couldn’t help it. He beamed. “Beautiful,” he agreed. “The poor little fellow was so tiny when he hatched. I hope he’s doing alright out there. I’m sure something must have happened to him. He’s a sweetheart, really…”

Newt patted Hagrid on the shoulder. “I’m sure he’s doing just fine,” he said.

Then Hagrid suddenly realised why Newt’s name had sounded so familiar. “Uh, pardon me, but did you write …?”

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” Newt said, and nodded. “That was indeed me.”

He passed a leather-bound journal over to Hagrid. “It’s a sequel of sorts. I’ve been working on it for a while. I think maybe you might like to read it.”

Hagrid nodded, barely daring to touch the book, so small and delicate on his table. The water for the tea began to boil, and Hagrid took it off the stove, but Newt put his hand over the teapot to stop Hagrid making the tea.

“But first,” Newt said, raising one finger, “Why don’t you and I have a little trip to the Forest? Come on, let’s go see if we can find your friend.”


End file.
